Kanat Kanimetov

Affiliated media: TV channel "April", Journalist

Incident date: March 8, 2020

Attack type:

• Non-fatal attack / beating / injury / torture

Who attacked: Authorities

Source: Facebook (LIVE)

Location: Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek

Additional information:

The journalist was hosting a live stream on the 8th March 2020 during a feminist march against rape and for women’s rights in Bishkek. Protestors were attacked by representatives of the nationalist group “Kyrk Choroloru”, who started to beat women and children. During an attack on protesters by a group of nationalists, police officers arrested some of those present, including Kanat Kanimetov. On the live stream Kanimetov said that he was attacked from behind and hit on the head and kidneys by five police officers. According to Kanimetov, law enforcement agencies used force to bring him in to the Sverdlovsk Regional Office of Internal Affairs in Bishkek, where he could hear how they were planning to file a report against the journalist for not obeying authorities’ orders. “I was detained because I tried to defend myself when I was being hit on the head, and now they’re taking me to the investigating officer”, said the journalist on the live stream.